stephem

We just came back from a weekend getaway to Saigon (another great stay in the Park Hyatt) and have this to report (all from D1)...

Nam Kha- was on the 2005 Gold List, I'd second Jimbo99's comment that things come and go quickly in terms of what's best. Our meal here was not cheap and a real let down. I'd suggest avoiding this place. the ambiance wasnt that good either.

Mojo- attached to the Sheraton, a great place for tasty lunch and good mixed drinks, a wide mix including western

Square One- the VN inspired restaurant in the Grand Hyatt. Actually the best dinner we've had in Saigon. The layout is much like the open kitchen restaurants in the Hyatts in Singapore and Beijing. We had fresh seafood that they pulled from tanks, it doesnt get fresher than this... also doesnt get more expensive in Saigon.

a "Bun" restaurant across the street from Reunificaton Palace. Great fresh food, cool design, good tasty VN food. Highly recommended and pretty cheap.

Pho2000/Pho24- not bad for a quick and cheap bowl.

Xu- tough to find, wound up just having drinks but this was a hip little place, I'd give it a try for dinner next time. Really good drinks.

Mexican place on the corner of "TTT" and Pasteur. not bad mexican, the best I've had in SE Asia so far. Good cocktails as well.

Two general comments- if you want a hopping place, look for the lower cost joints. The pricey places can be totally empty, even on a weekend night! And second, drinks+foot message+dinner+nightime walk= a great evening in Saigon!

Michael

I'll second the vote for Pho Hoa Pasteur. Excellent pho, relaxed place, definitely off the tourist/expat trail.

- Michael

jimbo99

Actually I disagree a little... alot of tourists seem to go there and it is featured in some of the guide books. The pho is good, as you say. But one tip... it is about a mile from the centre and the taxis that wait outside are targetting tourists. Some are NOT ok (meters that run fast etc). I'd suggest that people who need a taxi just walk a block away and get a moving one.

Michael

Interesting - I guess we lucked out then.

When we were last there in Nov 2005, there were no other tourists around; nor was it listed in our guidebook (LP) at the time IIRC. (We got the address from a formerly Saigon-based expat.) We didn't see taxis waiting outside either, and had no problems flagging one when we left (though we walked along for a bit after eating).

The only other person who spoke English there was a Californian viet khieu (sp?) who was back in Saigon for the first time in 20-odd years. He had an interesting perspective on things.

- Michael

SaigonCyclo

Pho Pastuer had as many Westerners as it did Vietnamese last time I was there. It's definitely on the expat list. But it's still very good.

jimbo99

Actually walked round there yesterday morning (about 11am). People inside downstairs looked mostly Vietnamese... a couple of Japanese (guessing) arrived. Couple of dodgy taxis outside!

Some foreigners might have been put off - they are renewing their fascia and as of yesterday there was nothing to say it is actually Pho Hoa.

imm2b

If you're a bit adventure, try Lang Nuong Nam Bo restaurant at 367 Cach Mang Thang Tam Street, the restaurant is full every night, mostly locals.

This Blog, has some great reviews on restaurants in Vietnam.

Tim2008

Just been to a quite new mexican restaurant called Cantina Central at the corner of Pasteur and Tan Ton Thiep.
Very nice interior and good Buritos and Tapas. Quite cheap for expat standards, buritos are around 40000 VND.

A nice Spanish place is the Pacharan opposite the Hyatt. Especially the roof top terrace is nice a night.

For Vietnamese BBQ the place to go Ngoc Soung on Le Quy Don. Gets very packed on the weekends. Another good BBQ is Luong Son on Ly Tu Trong.

For lunch I can recommend Amigo on Nguyen Hue next to Duxton Hotel. Two lunch specials for 100000 VND including salad buffet,entree and a drink. Luciano Pavarotti and friends have already their food at that restaurant...so cannot be that bad
Another good spot for french food is La Fourchette on Ngu Duc Ke

For drinks at night we normally start at a Cuban bar La Habana on Cao Ba Quat. Afterwards next door to Vasco´s. Afterwards to Lush which a nightclub very popular in the expat community. And finally to Q bar in the opera opposite Caravelle hotel. Q Bar is one of the few clubs that stays open till around 3-4 o´clock on weekends.

SaigonCyclo

Just tried Cantina Central last weekend. Location is good, as is the interior of the restaurant itself. Food was OK. Chips plate (saucer) they give you is really a joke. I think they give you about 15 chips. The should give you a basket full like a normal Mexican restaurant. I tried the Mexican Pizza. A bit bland tasting, but at least they have Cholula Hot Sauce to help out. Other people I dined with said their meals were good. They do have Don Julio Repasado tequila for those of you who like good Blue Agave tequila. But the price is steep at 120,000VND/shot.

All in all, it's nice to have a new choice and I'll give it another shot.

Strawb

My friend took us out for dinner to a place called Ngoc Suong somewhere in Saigon last week. The food was fantastic, delicious and authentic and the place was very, very busy! I particularly enjoyed sitting out on the balcony on the first floor . We didn't see a single tourist there, it was all local Vietnamese. Highly recommended for authentic, non-overpriced Vietnamese food. The seafood was pretty amazing I have to say, unfortunately, because the place was so popular on a Sunday night, all the chicken dishes on the menu had run out but we still had an excellent time. Sorry, I don't know the address.

P.S. A bit off topic but Pho Ga in Hanoi is simply DELICIOUS! Much better than in Saigon. We ate at a local street stall and it was amazing! All for only 10,000 Dong a bowl. I could eat that every day! YUM!!!

jimbo99

Could it have been Le Quy Don? (District 3, roughly speaking a mile from the centre in the direction of the airport). This one is certainly good and was recommended by Tim2008 a couple of posts back.

(I'm still working on my "full" report...!)

Strawb

Yes, I think so! We definitely had to go some way out of the centre and I was unfamiliar with the area.

I did not see Tim's post before but it sounds like the one. Lots and lots of BBQ food on the menu - the BBQ prawn skewers with chilli were simply to die for!

Tod E Tosser

Was wandering back from a good meal at Luong Son the other night when we stumbled across a couple of restaurant-packed blocks on Le Thanh Ton. Wayne's Texas BarBQ (15/1 Le Thanh Ton) caught my eye. Went back today for lunch, and the Texas ribs were incredible! Wayne says he's been in Saigon for four years, but moved to this location a month ago. The key is that he now gets US beef.

I mainly eat Vietnamese food when I'm here as it's tough to get my fiance to eat anything else. But she really scarfed down a pulled pork sandwich. This is my last night in town, but I'll definitely be back to Wayne's when I'm in Saigon and in need of a taste of home.

This area of Le Thanh Ton has many Japanese restaurants plus Italian, Korean, Irish pub, and even Nepalese.

SaigonCyclo

Texas BBQ is definitely a good place. New location is a little better now too. You should get your fiancee to try Indian, Thai, Japanese and Korean food. So many good places to eat other than VN here. My wife used to only eat Vietnamese food, but when we go out for dinner now, we never eat Vietnamese food. Next time you're here, try ZEN on Le Thanh Ton. Some very good grilled meats (pork, chicken, beef) on skewers, as well as very good sushi/sashimi. I've also heard the Nepalese place is pretty good.

Safe travels

Tod E Tosser

Thanks for the suggestions. She will eat Thai, Italian, and at the German place on Dong Khoi. We just left Hong Kong, so Chinese is no longer a problem. But after enjoying "American" food so much she dragged me into both McDonald's and Burger King in HKG. She liked BK. I may have created a monster.